Sports

Cardinal gymnast helps Canada qualify for 2012 London Olympics

Kristina Vaculik, here shown with Stanford coach Kristen Smyth, tied for Canada's best score on the uneven bars (14.33) to help her country qualify for the London Olympics. Photo by Rob Erickson/Stanford Athletics.

Stanford freshman Kristina Vaculik, who is taking a year off school to train with the Canadian women's gymnastics Olympic team, helped Canada earn a spot in the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday in an Olympic Qualifying Test Event.

Canada was among eight countries competing for the final four team spots in the last-chance opportunity at the North Greenwich Arena, the Olympic venue for the sport.

Vaculik is one Canada's top gymnasts. She won four of five possible individual titles at the 2010 Canadian national championships and earned her second national all-around title, as well as gold medals on the beam, bars and vault.

Vaculik competed in all four events for the Cardinal last spring and reached scores of at least 9.825 points in each. She recorded her season best at the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional, scoring a 9.875 to place third on the bars.

Olympic women's gymnastics competitions will take place from July 29-Aug. 7.

Men's swimming

Stanford freshman David Nolan was named the national swimmer of the week by collegeswimming.com for his three wins in a dual- meet victory over Pacific on Saturday.

Nolan won the 50-yard free with a mark of 20.26, the 200 back with a mark of 1:46.48 and the exhibition 100 fly in 48.04.

Nolan ranks in the national top 15 in five events, posting the fifth-fastest time in the 200 back and 200 individual medley, as well as the No. 6 time in the 100 fly, No. 8 time in the 100 free, No. 13 time in the 200 free.

The Cardinal, ranked No. 3, hosts Arizona and Arizona State on January 20 and 21.

The diving team will host the three-day Stanford Diving Invitational starting on Friday at the Avery Aquatic Center.

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Palo Alto Online Sports

Comments

Like this comment

Posted by Faith Brigel
a resident of Downtown North
on Jan 12, 2012 at 12:56 pm

It was such a pleasure to read this article about Kristina Vaculik! Good for her to be accepted to train with the Canadian gymnastics Olympic women's team, and to be a student at Stanford.
I am proud to have her as a fellow Canadian!!
I wish her all of the luck in the competition!!

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